Further progress in timeliness of fitness to practise cases

The continued progress was driven largely by a strong performance at screening – the initial assessment stage of FtP. As we reported earlier this week, the screening caseload has dropped below 2,000 – the lowest level since July 2020.

This has been achieved despite a further rise in new referrals: 633 new concerns were received in July, which is the highest number for a single month in the last five years.

Since April, we have made 2,880 decisions and achieved 2,664 case resolutions across all stages of FtP. In July alone, we resolved 694 cases, of which 79% (548 cases) were resolved at screening, signalling the positive impact of our updated screening guidance and prioritisation work.

Lesley Maslen, Executive Director of Professional Regulation at the NMC, said:

“We welcome the momentum shown in the latest data, which indicate that our Fitness to Practise Plan is continuing to make a gradual but positive difference. The progress at screening, in particular, shows the early impact of our strengthened guidance and prioritisation work.

“At the same time, we recognise that as we receive more referrals, there is further pressure in the latter stages of our processes. We know being involved in Fitness to Practise can be distressing for people, so it’s vital that we are not complacent.

“We remain focused on continuing to invest in our teams and the systems needed to make decisions that are faster, fairer and more compassionate.”

Further information

• Careline: we offer an independent service run by specially trained counsellors, providing confidential emotional and practical support to professionals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
  
  
• Referral: This is what we call a new concern submitted to us about a nursing or midwifery professional on our register 
  
  
• Screening: This is the initial assessment stage when we receive a new concern about a professional on our register and decide whether it should go to a full investigation 
  
  
• In May, we updated our screening guidance. Our new risk-based approach distinguishes concerns that require regulatory action from those better handled by employers or agencies. This means genuine regulatory cases are progressed swiftly, allowing our teams to deliver faster, more consistent decisions for everyone involved.

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